Scootney Perch Express 12/03

[FEAR NO FISH!]

I took a day off of steelheading and went to Scootnet Res. to stock up on some fillets. In 5 hours of fishing I was able to land 119 perch. I even picked up a 14 incher. Thats a big perch! All were taken on a 1/4 oz. swedish pimple, single gamakatsu siwash. All silver, with a perch eyeball for sweetener. Also landed a big bull blugill and 1 small walleye. Most of the perch were puking up crappie fingerlings. Three. quart, freezer bags full of fillets. MMmmmmmmmm!

[You Betcha]

Fear No Fish
I am impressed with the size of that big perch. When I was a boy(40 plus years ago) I caught what we called Jumbo perch in Northern Wisconsin. I haven't seen or heard of them for years. I catch perch in Hagg Lake and the CR but 10 inches is a monster there.

It might be worth a 2 day non-resident fishing license for all those fillets. What was the average size of all those perch?
Thanks for the info.
Steve

[ 12-04-2002, 02:03 PM: Message edited by: You Betcha ]

[FEAR NO FISH!]

You Betcha,
The average was 9 inches. There were some good ones in that last batch. Moses Lake is better for big perch. I have not fished it but have a friend that does. I concentrate my time at Scootney or Soda Lakes.

[Wannabe]

I hear some great reports of good size perch out of Lake Washington and Skamish (spelled wrong). But have yet to make the trip..I have seen some underwater videos of Lake Washington...wow what a concentration of perch. Someday I hope.
<)))><

[Born to Fish]

FNF - good report on the perch-jerking, sounds like you had a ball! 14-incher is a monster!

I, like "U betcha", grew up back in Wisconsin and spent my youthful days [40+ years ago] perch fishing on the Milwaukee lakefront. They were good sized back then but never got into jumbo's like that.

Looking forward to coming up that way sometime and giving it a try. One question about the perch eyes....do you freeze them between trips, and if so is there any special preparation necessary?

[bassin]

Am surprized at all of the Wisconsin boys around here. Am from Menomonie, And have made the trip to lake Washington. There are some real nice perch there. 12-14"

[FEAR NO FISH!]

Hi Bassin,
I played Hockey at Stout State in Menomonie 1977-1978, 1978-1979. I miss the Midwest but we sure have their fishing beat!
I will have more perch stories when the darn steelhead quit biting!

[Born to Fish]

Hey FNF, I went to WSU in Stevens Point, 1963 - 1967. Majored in beer :cheers: :grin:

[chuckee]

Lets see some perch pictures, Do they bite in the spring also?

[Born to Fish]

FNF, also, still wondering how [if at all] you keep your perch eye bait between trips.

[Sturgeonbait]

Moses Lake is a good lake for perch, but almost all lakes have perch it seems like hear Horseshoe lake in Woodland I Have pulled up a 13 1\2 :wink: inch perch out of it you can nail about 12 in 45 minnuets there if you know how to fish it, a lot of fun. I caught a few 13 inch perch in Mosses lake to.

[Born to Fish]

Sturgeonbait, I also hear that Potholes Res. is good for perch. What time of year are you going after them, and are you also using the Swedish Pimple/perch eye technique that is so successful for FNF?

Over here in southwest Idaho the preferred method seems to center more around using small pieces of cut bait [perch meat] on a plain hook. Sure there are other options being used but that is what you hear most when folks are getting into them.

[Plugcutter]

Where is Scootnet Resevoir? somewhere by the Tri Cities?

[Born to Fish]

Believe it's north, just before you get to Potholes Reservoir.

[FEAR NO FISH!]

Born to fish,
Sorry for side stepping the question about the eyes. I don't save em. The next trip I just start with a small chunk of night crawler and start removing the eyes as soon as I bring the first one up. :cheers:

[Born to Fish]

FNF, thanks...I didn't think you were side stepping a question. After seeing that picture of your boat this morning [or was it yesterday] it was obvious you've been busy.

[Sturgeonbait]

My personal favorite way to catch perch is take a hook pyt a small chunk of worm and a sinker [like a small splitshot, or make like a powerbait rig without the trebblehook.] and slowly reel in my line very slowly. :cheers: Be ready to shake well and apply lot's of fun if necesary :cheers: . :grin: I catch perch this way, bass, sunfish :grin: , and the ocassional :depressed: squafish or mudobber :depressed: . I do best in summer. but i do good in spring the rest is still good though but summer and spring is best

At this time of year I nead to use a bobber and set it close to bottom in some lakes because there are to many leaves :shocked: .

You can catch them at silver lake in the [Toutle area] with a jig and bobber close to bottom move higher up for crappie :cool:

[DaleDor]

The BEST perch fishing in the Northwest occurs at Moses Lake around the 3rd week in March, right by the I-90 bridge, where they spawn. 9-12" is the AVERAGE, and enough 13-14" fish (rare fish to 16"...wow) to keep it interesting. I didn't see hardly any tiny perch when I was there around that time, but in September I was there and lot and lots of tiny 5" perch, unfortunately. A guy there when I was there this year cleaned 80 (fishing by himself) the day before I was there. I saw one boat with a cooler BRIMING full of good sized perch. 1/32 oz. jigs, + attach perch eye or perch cut-bait is what they use. Sometimes maggots added to the jig. 1/16 oz. is bigger than you ideally want, I think. Dave Graybill's article I read said his line would move with some frequency...often due to fish bumping into his LINE there are so many. The spawn is the key at that spot.

[DaleDor]

I read somewhere that Banks Lake was professed to be the top perch lake in Washington. I bet it does indeed have lots of perch since isn't Banks one of the very top Walleye lakes in the Northwest...and Walleye feed on....well you get the picture.

[GutshotApe]

Blind Slough off the lower Columbia near Knappa used to produce yellow perch to 12" and up in early spring. May still be good. :whazzup:

I caught a 13" perch on the Washington side in Coal Creek slough west of Longview many years ago. In March. Coal Creek slough is also a backwater of the Columbia River.

[Fishrite]

Hey Gutshot: I've heard about Blind Slough on the Columbia, but have never fished it. I guess the perch feed heavily on the anchovie eggs when they move in to spawn in the lower Columbia in March and April. It would be hard to leave the Springer fishing to go fish for perch;... however, I did do it last year to fish Brownlee for Crappie. :grin:

[Smj]

You can find alot of perch in the Multnomah channel in the Gilbert river area. We stumbled on them trying for walleye a few years ago in October. There weren't any big boys like in the pics FnF has but it was more action than the walleye were giving us. We got a big meal out of them, but I've got to wonder how good they might be for you being that far down the system from all that polution?

Smj

[fishboy5]

Sturgeonbait, where do you fish at horseshoe? Do you do any good where they let the water in by the road?

[GutshotApe]

Smj - I wouldn't worry about contaminated fish from Oregon waters unless you eat suspect fish several times a week year in, year out, and are a pregnant female or thinking about becoming one. :wink:

But, maybe I'm naive. :whazzup:

[Smj]

LOL LOL, No no, not female, not planning on becoming one either.
There was just something in the back of my mind that bothered me about eating those perch. I spend quite a bit of time on the Willamette from O city down and I've seen some pretty disgusting things in and on that river.

Smj

[Sturgeonbait]

fishboy5,
I fish on the beach where the fence starts toward the same end of the lake as the pumps are on by the first plum tree :cool: . If you can get on a boat the whole middle area is good :cool: . The other end I haven't fished much :shocked: .
If you are intrested that lake is full of carp :tongue: . They can put up a good fight to I broke a abu Garcia reel :mad: fighting a eight pound carp. Early to bed Early to Rise Fish all day Make up Lies <font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">

[fishboy5]

Sturgeon Bait - Maybe we could "hook up" some time to fish Horseshoe. I've got my own boat if you don't have one.